Striped Christmas Tree Pillow crochet pattern now available!

The Striped Christmas Tree Pillow crochet pattern is now available. This is the first of at least two Christmas Tree pillow patterns. I hope to share the second one with you soon. The pattern is written for heavy worsted, aran weight yarn. I used Lion Brand’s Vanna’s Choice for the sample. Adjusting the yarn will yield different sized pillows. Just be sure to use a hook that yields a tight stitch. You don’t want stuffing creeping out of your pillows. This pillow also looks great crocheted in one color and decorated with buttons. OR for a large pillow, crochet with two strands held together.

Homemade Dryer Ball Update

I originally posted about my homemade dryer balls in March and I’ve been using them ever since. At first I wasn’t sure if they worked but now I am sold on them. Almost always my items are dry when the dryer beeps. I rarely need to add time and run a standard load in the dryer longer. This wasn’t the case before I started using them. I’ve also used less dryer sheets. I still use them, but I’m definitely using less. Static is not bad either but that is hard to gauge because I’ve been using them during the warmer months where the heat hasn’t been on much. The true static test will be in December and January. But, less time in the dryer results in less static so I’m anticipating less static this winter.

A couple months ago I made two more dryer balls out of t-shirt scraps wrapped in wool. And I lost one of the original balls somewhere in the house. I’m sure it will turn up eventually.

Because we do a ton of laundry, my dryer balls have taken a beating. One in particular unraveled a good bit today so it is time to fix them. As you can see, they have been well used.

Four of the six balls needed fixing. I wrapped the unraveling one up with some wool scraps and finished it and the others with 100% wool yarn wrapped really tight. I tried to work the ends in a little better as a few came loose with the initial batch. Then I washed them with a couple of loads of towels set to hot. This time I did not place them in a lingerie bag. They seemed to felt better and we are ready to do some more laundry!

Harvest Corn Pillows (candy corn) crochet pattern now available!

The Harvest Corn Pillow crochet pattern is now available. I’m really excited to FINALLY share this pattern with you. I added the design to my “designs to do list” in February, 2016, and made the first sample in June, 2016 on our road trip out west. But I wasn’t happy with the way the sample turned out. The shaping wasn’t true to candy corn’s actual shape. So the design sat. And sat. And sat until last month when I decided it was time to rework the sample and figure out how to make it look like real candy corn. And I’m really glad I did because I LOVE these pillows!! They add a little whimsy to fall decorating and something different from the usual items you see in every store. The pattern includes two different sized pillows and is written for heavy worsted, aran weight yarn. I used Lion Brand’s Vanna’s Choice for the samples and went with a rustic color combination. However, if traditional candy corn is more your thing, then by all means, break out the bright orange, bright yellow and crisp white and make some pillows that look good enough to eat. Adjusting the yarn will yield different sized pillows. Just be sure to use a hook that yields a tight stitch. You don’t want stuffing creeping out of your pillows.

This Halloween, Decorate Your Pumpkins with Crochet!

It is almost that time of year. My favorite holiday, Halloween. I love the silliness of the holiday, the tackiness of the decorations and of course, the candy. I love seeing children using their imaginations and turning into a character for the afternoon. I love trick-or-treating, haunted houses and spooky snacks. And I love carving pumpkins and making jack-o-lanterns. But pumpkin carving is messy. Sometimes we don’t want to make a mess. So here is a non-messy alternative to pumpkin carving. Crochet some eyeballs and attach them to the pumpkin! Make a patch of scary pumpkins with some alien or demon eyes. Or go for silly pumpkins and crochet surprised eyes or eyes with eyelashes. Attach the eyes with double stick tape and use them year after year. Whether you go for scary or silly, have fun and Enjoy!

September 12th is International Crochet Day

I’m old enough to remember what it was like before the internet; when letters were mailed and phones were attached to walls with wires. Back then, the world seemed larger. It was rare to know someone from another country. In elementary school I remember signing up for a Pen Pal. My teacher used a service to match us up with a child from another country. A child of the same age and similar interests who was able to write in English. I remember getting my assigned Pen Pal and writing to her on special airmail paper. This paper was so thin, it was translucent. And I remember using special airmail envelopes to mail the letters. Thin paper meant less weight and less cost to mail. I remember receiving letters with such interesting stamps. But the letters took weeks to arrive and unfortunately, I lost interest.

Fast forward 40 years and it is possible to have an online conversation with someone from across the world. No more waiting for letters with interesting stamps. You can interact via email or social media with anyone, instantaneously, as long as they have an internet connection. Current technology is amazing and constantly evolving. Not only has this opened so many opportunities for us to communicate, it has exposed us to a plethora of information to learn about other countries and cultures. Opportunities we may not have had otherwise.

The internet has had an impact for crafters as well. For those who crochet, we are no longer limited to designs printed in publications that arrive only a few times a year or books our local library may carry. We have an entire world of crochet resources at our fingertips. Ravelry is a huge resource for those who crochet. You can search designers by their country, you can search for projects with key words and you can search designs with certain attributes, one of which is “Regional/Ethnic Styles”.

September 12 is International Crochet Day. Using the internet, you can take the day to learn a new method of crochet that has a history with a culture that is different from yours. Maybe try beautiful Irish lace crochet, or perhaps try some amigurimi, traditional Japanese crochet. Or you can find a new crochet designer, one that is either from another country or whose designs are heavily influenced by a culture different from yours. Check out patterns that are inspired by the Norwegian selburose design or work up some motifs that use the vibrant colors often found in traditional Mexican design. Do a key word search for a country and see what you find. Then, take the search a step further and learn the history behind the projects. For example, a key word search of “Jamaica” on Ravelry yields 5 pages of projects. As you can guess, there are a lot of Rasta hats in that search. With a quick internet search I learned that Rasta hats represent more than just Bob Marley’s headgear. They have a rich history and represent members of a religion. I didn’t know this before. My interest in crochet has led me to learn more about another culture.

Another idea to celebrate International Crochet Day on September 12 is to learn how to read crochet charts. Charts are universal to any language. If you can read a chart, then you can work a charted design by any international designer regardless of the language. Just be sure to find out if the symbols are written in US terms or UK terms. Not sure of the difference between US crochet terms and UK crochet terms? Research it! It’s international!

So, how do I plan to spend the day? Not sure but one of my favorite Mexican inspired designs are crocheted sugar skulls. Sugar skulls are used in the Mexican celebration, the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) and are used to celebrate, not mourn, those who have passed. Perhaps I will spend International Crochet Day making a sugar skull or two.

Busting out some stash at a snail’s pace.

Just when I think things can’t get any busier, they do. April, May and June 2018 have been nuts and I’m sure it is not going to slow down any in the very near future. That’s OK, because it is the nuttiness, the “life that happens”, that makes our time on this big blue marble an adventure. Most of the past quarter’s busyness was good. My oldest graduated high school and is preparing for his freshman year of college, my parents came for visit and were able to attend his graduation, my youngest is now driving, we’ve had prom, college visits, awards night and all the other end-of-school year activities. In addition, both mine and my husband’s jobs continue to grow and demand more of our time, my in-laws are moving out of their home where they have lived the past 30+ years and have needed some assistance and, just to make things interesting, I’ve decided that about 80% of the interior of our house needs to be painted. Sprinkle in a two week vacation to the Pacific Coast, a trip we have been planning for at least two years, and you have a very busy second quarter.

My crocheting has taken a back seat to all of the items on the to-do list. However, I was able to get a few projects completed and bust out some stash. And I purchased ZERO yarn this past quarter (yay me!).

I mentioned above that my parents came for a visit. They live in Florida but decided to rent an apartment this summer in upstate New York where my brother and sister live. Since they will be “snowbirds”, I made the following potholder, Red Bird in the Snow Potholder by Doni Speigle, for them. The pattern is adorable. You can read my notes and suggestions on my Ravelry project page.

And last, another adorable potholder design by Doni Speigle called Dinnertime!. This was for the May potholder exchange. Once I have the time, I can think of a number of cat people, myself included, who would love one of these.

It is already July and my crochet time for the last three weeks has been zip, zero, zilch. I’m hopeful I will have a couple projects to share with you for third quarter 2018. But if I’m too busy with life’s adventures to crochet much, that’s good too.

I am happy to share with you the latest in my UNsquared Granny series, the Tea for ME! Mug Cozy. This adorable cozy is based on the traditional Granny Square motif with a twist-it isn’t square! Not even close. It is time to UNsquare those Grannies!! The fully written pattern is rated EASY with minimal shaping to create the domed cozy. Illustrative charts are also included. The cozy is perfectly sized for an individual mug of tea, coffee or cocoa. It works up quick and would make a lovely Mother’s Day gift! Instructions and photo tutorial included for the super easy liner-minimal hand sewing required.
Find out more here: UNsquared Granny, Tea for ME! Mug Cozy

This pattern is included in my Buy 2, Get a 3rd for FREE sale! No coupon needed, Ravelry will automatically deduct the lowest priced pattern from your purchase.